This brief introduction presents the structure and contents of the current issue and links the various contributions to events or very recent discoveries that were reported in the press in the period immediately before its completion in September. It also offers an overview (not meant to be exhaustive) of archaeological activity in Greece over the past 12 months, focusing on major exhibitions and important recent publications.

This article, based on an oral presentation by the author at its Annual General Meeting in February 2020, summarizes the activities of the British School at Athens (BSA) with a focus on the calendar year 2019. It describes – selectively and concisely – research by award holders, BSA-sponsored fieldwork and study in 2019 at three locations (Olynthos, Koutroulou Magoula and Knossos), research and events associated with the Fitch Laboratory and the Knossos Research Centre, plus other activities of the BSA in Greece and the UK, including seminars, conferences and workshops.

‘Newsround’ offers a platform for new discoveries that do not appear within the specialist contributions of this year’s Archaeological Reports, but which nevertheless warrant emphasis, either as a result of their particular characteristics or for the contribution they make to broader archaeological narratives. This section is not intended to be exhaustive but rather an overview of archaeological research in Greece. It comprises largely preliminary reports (results of excavations that took place up to and including August 2020 where possible) that complement the digital content made available through Archaeology in Greece Online (https://chronique.efa.gr). Due to the diachronic nature of a number of the sites and for ease of reference, the material is organized geographically in the first instance and then chronologically (earliest to latest) within each section as far as possible.

This paper presents a thorough review of new data and research on the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods in Epirus. It correlates new with old material in an attempt to outline the situation in Epirus and to highlight the region’s peculiarities. These peculiarities make Epirus attractive for scholars and at the same time set it apart from the rest of Greece. The ultimate goal is to reconsider Epirus’ position in the field of Greek and European prehistory more broadly.

In memory of my beloved father Dimitris

This contribution reviews recent and ongoing excavation, landscape and publication projects undertaken on Crete over the course of the last six years and covering the period from Middle Minoan IB to the end of Late Minoan IIIA (ca. 1900–1300 BC). The aim is to provide an extensive, although not exhaustive, summary of research conducted in the field and highlight some current trends in the study of Palatial Crete.

Research on transport amphorae in the Aegean and the Black Sea regions during the past decade has progressed significantly, both accumulating, synthesizing and interpreting new and old data, and increasing attention given to previously neglected areas and periods. Much work has been done on identifying places of production, defining typological development and refining chronologies. Greece and Turkey are achieving greater prominence in the field, as is attention to the Early Iron Age. Old debates – such as on the purposes and the meanings of amphora stamps – have been reignited with new ideas and the roles of transport amphorae in socio-economic systems continue to draw attention. Another emerging trend is the effort to consider amphorae in the longue durée. As material grows and the field becomes more cosmopolitan, amphora studies increasingly face the challenge of aggregating and synthesizing data in a way that can encourage participation in the broader dialogues of economic historians.

Sanctuaries remain important for the study of ancient Greek life and culture because they express the values and concerns of the communities where they were established and developed. The investigation of sanctuaries remains a fundamental aspect of research. The new data that have come to light clearly confirm that their study has in no way been exhausted. The Peloponnese has been at the centre of scholarly interest in this subject from the very start, and continues to be today. This article offers an overview of the excavations and publications of the last decade, recording also new trends in sanctuary research.

This article reviews a decade of publications and rescue excavations on the islands of Aegina, Poros and Salamis, and on the island-like Methana peninsula. Considerable amounts of new data have come to light that demonstrate how, from prehistory through to more recent times, the islands of the Saronic Gulf have been plugged in to networks with one another, with their neighbouring mainlands and with the wider Aegean. Moreover, a not insignificant number of publications has recently become available that synthesize many years of archaeological discoveries into cultural histories, telling the stories of each island and of the whole archipelago.